There are many printing systems that use cutting mechanisms to trim the paper either before or after printing. One example is the Kodak Photo Printer 4720 sublimation dye thermal printer. In that printer, a cutting mechanism is used to trim non-printed areas (chad) from a pre-cut sheet. Another example is the Kodak Photo Printer 6400 sublimation dye thermal printer. In that printer, a cutting mechanism is used to trim each final print. The non-printed area is cut off while the printed area is still attached to the remaining roll of paper supply. Then the final print is cut from the roll. In any case, it is desirable to collect the chad in a receptacle within the printer for later removal. It is also desirable to avoid a build up of chad from interfering with the printing process. Therefore, there exists a need to direct the chad away from the print path towards a receptacle.
One approach is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,474,885. In that device, the chad is allowed to fall onto a tray cover while the print is directed towards the exit of the printer by a set of rollers. A roller built into the tray cover moves the chad along towards the collection area and avoids a buildup of chad from blocking the print path. Another approach to waste removal (U.S. Pat. No. 4,445,409) simply allows the waste to fall through an opening that is bigger than the waste but smaller than the work piece. However, this arrangement requires some mechanism to move the work piece after the cutting operation has been performed.
Yet another approach is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,728,920. In that apparatus described therein, a diverting system is taught in which a controller energizes a deflector system to direct waste towards a receptacle and printed documents toward an exit.